Stay young with herbs and spiritual exercise<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): What makes the Javanese diet different from a
\nWestern one?<\/p>\n
If you are on Javanese diet, you have to be able to control
\nnot only your appetite, but your emotions as well, through what a
\njamu (traditional herbs) expert calls spiritual exercises.<\/p>\n
\"In the West, when you are on diet, you should not eat this
\nand that, while in Java, you have to be able to control your
\nemotions as well,\" Dr. Martha Tilaar told participants of the
\nongoing first Asian Conference on Dietetics.<\/p>\n
The three-day event, which was opened on Monday by Vice
\nPresident Try Sutrisno, involves some 500 participants from 18
\nAsian and Pacific countries.<\/p>\n
Taking the so-called spiritual exercises, one would be able to
\navoid stress and negative thinking while fasting, which will keep
\nhim or her young, according to Tilaar.<\/p>\n
There are a variety of Javanese diets, and ways of fasting as
\nwell. Some people do not eat anything for a certain period of
\ntime, while others eat only rice or vegetables. There are also
\nthose who do not eat meat, or do not use salt.<\/p>\n
\"Spiritual exercise is part of the inner care to obtain health
\nand beauty,\" Tilaar explained about Javanese philosophy.<\/p>\n
Beauty is an expression of harmony between the outer and inner
\nhealth. The elements of the inner care are spiritual exercises
\nand jamu. Body and facial treatment is included in the outer
\ncare.<\/p>\n
The use of herbs as a medicine as well as for health
\nmaintenance among the people is as old as the civilization
\nitself. In Indonesia, it can be traced in ancient literature as
\nwell as in the reliefs at the Borobudur and Prambanan temples in
\nCentral Java, Tilaar pointed out.<\/p>\n
`Dangerous'<\/p>\n
Tilaar, president of Sari Ayu Jamu Company, said women are
\nmore in need of jamu than men given that women have certain life
\ncycles which are not experienced by men, such as menstruation,
\nchild labor, breast feeding and menopause.<\/p>\n
According to the Javanese culture, entering a new cycle means
\nentering a new world, which can be \"dangerous\". Therefore women
\nmust be prepared to face the danger through various rites and
\nceremonies and at the same time it is recommended that they take
\njamu.<\/p>\n
Jamu for men is different due to the different hormone. Single
\nand married women have different jamu, too, in accordance with
\ntheir biological development.<\/p>\n
\"We have the love herbs specially formulated for married women
\nto improve vitality, dispel female frigidity and enhance feminine
\ncharm,\" Tilaar said.<\/p>\n
Herbs for fertility are a traditional formula for women
\nlonging for a child, and helps improve blood circulation around
\nthe uterus and stimulate ovulation, said Tilaar, who gave birth
\nto her first child at the age of 42.<\/p>\n
The other speakers at the session were Dr. Lou Yi from
\nXinjiang Clinical Nutrition Research Institute in China, who
\ntalked about the Chinese medicated diet, and Itaro Oguni from the
\nDepartment of Food and Nutrition, University of Shizuoka, Japan,
\nwho discussed the use of green tea to prevent cancer.<\/p>\n
Oguni said the crude death rate from cancer in Shizuoka,
\nwhere the people habitually drink green tea, was lower than the
\naverage in the rest of the country.<\/p>\n
Even though current data shows that green tea is capable of
\nreducing the risk of cancer, it is necessary to carry out further
\nresearch to obtain the final proof that green tea is effective in
\npreventing human cancer, Oguni said. (sim)<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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